1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a card reader/writer in which by manually conveying a magnetic card along a scanning groove, the magnetic card is scanned for a magnetic head.
In the specification, "card reader/writer" is used as a concept incorporating a card reader, a card writer, and a card reader and writer having both of the reading and writing functions.
2. Description of the Related Background Art
Hitherto, as a manual scanning type card reader/writer, there has been known a card reader/writer having the following structure.
That is, there has been known a manual scanning type card reader/writer comprising a magnetic head to write or read magnetic recording information onto/from a magnetic card and a rotatable roller which is arranged so as to face the magnetic head, wherein the magnetic card is manually conveyed between the magnetic head and the roller, the magnetic recording information is written or read onto/from a magnetic stripe of the magnetic card.
However, in the case of manually conveying the magnetic card, the moving speed of the magnetic card differs depending on the person using it. Such variances in moving speeds causes problems such that if the card moving speed is too fast, the magnetization of a magnetic medium (magnetic card) by the magnetic field which is generated in a gap of the magnetic head is insufficient. On the contrary, if the card moving speed is too slow, a writing error occurs, so that information cannot subsequently be read out of the magnetic card on which the information has been magnetically recorded.
The above problems also occur even in those cases where the moving speed of magnetic card by the manual operation largely fluctuates and where the moving speed of the magnetic card gradually increases. In general, there is a tendency that the moving speed of the magnetic card by the manual operation gradually increases.